KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Following a two-run top of the first for South Dakota (15-37, 5-9 Summit), the UMKC softball team (13-37, 2-13 WAC) struck for nine unanswered runs in coming away with a convincing victory to open the final series of the season.

South Dakota loaded the bases on two singles and a hit by pitch in their first three at-bats of the game, putting UMKC starting pitcher Olivia Fluehr(Loves Park, Ill.) in a tough spot right out of the gates. Fluehr would pick up a big strikeout for the first out of the inning but would allow a sac fly and RBI single before escaping the frame with an early two-run deficit.

Fluehr was absolutely dialed in the rest of the way, tossing six scoreless frames after the early setback to improve her record to 6-11 in the complete-game win. She allowed just the two runs and five hits with a pair of strikeouts over seven dominant innings of work in the circle.

The Roos offense was quiet through the first two innings of play before the bats came alive in the third inning of play and kept the pressure on throughout the game. A walk and hit by pitch in the third put two runners aboard for UMKC in the third with two outs, where Kelsey Goodwin(Broken Arrow, Okla.) hit a no-doubt home run to left field to put UMKC out front 3-2. The long ball, which ended up as a game-winner, was her fourth of the season and boosted her RBI total to a team-best 30.

Ashlin O'Brien(Fond du Lac, Wis.) and Maegan Rollow(Broken Arrow, Okla.) each picked up RBI hits in the fourth to extend the Roos’ lead to 5-2. Morgan Byrn(Lawrence, Kan.) picked up an RBI sac fly in the fifth and also provided some stellar play at shortstop behind a strong performance from Fluehr.

O’Brien and Byrn would strike for RBI hits once more in the sixth inning, along with Fluehr who helped her own cause in the circle with yet another insurance run, to give UMKC a commanding 9-2 edge into the final inning. O’Brien and Fluehr each picked up three hits in the game while Sydney Garcia(Kansas City, Mo.) notched collected two hits. All eight Roos’ hitters that played the entire game hit safely in the impressive victory.

UMKC is back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. CT to wrap up the 2018 regular season. Senior Day ceremonies will take place in between the two games and both contests will be broadcast on the WAC Digital Network free of charge along with having Live Stats available.